News

Wiltshire Farm Foods has announced its first-ever range of Christmas meals, introducing a variety of festive favourites to its Softer Foods Collection that have been specially created for those living with swallowing difficulties.   

The range includes an energy dense Puréed Turkey with Red Cabbage, Sage and Cranberry Stuffing and Duchess Potatoes, with over 500 Kcal and 20g protein; Puréed Honey Glazed Pork with Apple Sauce, Green Beans and Sauté Potatoes (a meal which is both energy dense and gluten free) and a Puréed Festive Pudding with Vanilla Sauce; packed with balanced notes of festive spices, which is also gluten free.

When James’ wife suffered a stroke, both of their lives changed as a result. Here, he talks openly about how the ongoing impact of her illness affects them both, and how he in particular struggles to cope.

It’s been two years now since my wife had a stroke. She has done so well in getting some of her old self back, but in truth I think it’s me who continues to struggle the most.  We’re a couple in our early 40s who have always loved to travel, enjoy the outdoors, eat out in nice restaurants, and just enjoy our lives. We’ve been together since we were teenagers, and while we haven’t been blessed with children, our adventures have always ensured we had plenty to keep us occupied. 

MOJO (Moments of Joy) is a new dementia portal and app connecting everybody involved in the care of a loved one.

The MOJO platform aims to share the load, reduce stress and uncover more crucial opportunities for moments of joy. MOJO launched the #MomentsOfJoy movement last week, which aims to raise awareness of people affected by dementia, both directly and indirectly. Dementia is the biggest cause of death in the UK today, with over 850,000 currently diagnosed cases. Unlike many other illnesses however, it is the wider family who often bear the burden of primary care, and there has been very little support available for them during this incredibly challenging journey. MOJO aims to change this with a combination of accessible technical innovation, helpful online resources and real-time support workshops.

Female footballers heading the ball could be putting themselves at even greater risk of dementia than male players according to experts at the University of East Anglia.

Dr Michael Grey is running a project to monitor ex-footballers for early signs of dementia. More than 35 former professional players have now signed up including former Norwich City stars Iwan Roberts and Jeremy Goss, and Crystal Palace hero Mark Bright. But the research team are urgently looking for amateur and professional female players to take part too.

Signs of traumatic brain injury, dementia and schizophrenia could be detected at an earlier stage as a result of the development of a new sensor which measures weak magnetic signals in the brain.

Through the development of the new Optically Pumped Magnetometer (OPM) sensor, scientists are hopeful of enabling a greater understanding of connectivity in the brain, which could have significant benefits in the chances of early diagnosis.

As the country faces the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic, the management team at Richardson Care reflect on their experiences so far. Richardson Care has six specialist residential care homes – three for adults with acquired brain injury and three for adults with learning disabilities. Caring for up to 78 people, many of whom are vulnerable brings added responsibilities and pressures, as well as additional skills.

Our experience in supporting people who are rebuilding their lives after brain injury or living with learning disabilities means that we are problem solvers. We support people to overcome challenges every day. Never has this been more important and we’re proud of the way that our management team and staff have responded.

Strong sleeping pills known as ‘Z-drugs’ are linked with an increased risk of falls, fractures and stroke among people with dementia – according to research from the University of East Anglia.

Sleep disturbance is common among people with dementia and the impact for patients and their families is significant. To date there are no proven effective treatments available, however people with dementia are often prescribed Z-drugs (zopiclone, zaleplon, and zolpidem). But a new study published today reveals that stronger doses of these drugs are linked with an increased risk of adverse effects. These adverse effects were found to be similar or greater than those for higher dose benzodiazepines or ‘benzos’ – which are also used to treat sleep disturbance, and are known to have several adverse effects.

Case management has faced many challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, to enable vital support continues to be delivered to clients. Here, in the first in a series of Q&A features with case managers across the country, Lisa Brown, managing director of Coastal Case Management, shares her experiences 

How did you adapt to the restrictions of lockdown? Were you able to do this quickly or did it take a bit of time? We were pretty much set up with remote working and had literally just got our own IT man, who was invaluable. We changed to Sharepoint so the new way of working was certainly a challenge. It took a few weeks for us to settle in to our new world of Zoom and Microsoft Team chats but I love it. 

A charity which provides residential and community care for children with neurological injuries and disabilities has secured the support of a celebrity who himself has overcome brain trauma in appealing for vital funds to sustain its work.

From its base in Tadworth, Surrey, The Children’s Trust has worked with 3,000 children and their families in the past two years, delivering specialist rehabilitation and tailored support as they rebuild their lives following injury or illness.

In support of its fundraising efforts, TV and music star Martin Kemp has committed his support, fronting a BBC Lifeline documentary to highlight the work of the charity.

Senior professionals and practice owners must keep abreast of new and impending changes to pension arrangements and assess whether changes are needed to existing future plans, experts have warned.

A new and welcomed pensions annual allowance regime came into force during lockdown. This very broadly permits those with income and pension contributions of up to £240,000 to be entitled to a pension annual allowance of £40,000 during the tax year.

However, the annual allowance, introduced on April 6 to take effect from 2020/21 onwards, will continue to be reduced by £1 for every £2 of income exceeding the threshold, as was the case previously.

The maximum reduction in annual allowance is now £36,000, leaving those with an income and pension contributions of £312,000, with a pension annual allowance of only £4,000. So, while the income threshold has increased, taxpayers do need to be acutely aware of their annual incomes and annual pension contributions to assess whether they may in fact have a lower pension allowance than they anticipated.